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W. J. KENT APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND REMOVING BLANKS FROM MOVING WEBS. APPLICATION F ILED JUNE 9, mu.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1,303,680. Patented May13, 1919.

Attest:

I Inventor: 7

by [Uzi/2.1112711:

w. J. KENT. APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND REMOVING BLANKS FROM MOVING WEBS- APPLICATION FAILED JUNE 9, WW.

1,303,680. A Patented May 13, 1919.

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" his Atty W. J. KENT. APPARATUS FOR currme AND nemovme BLANKS mom movme WEBS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9, I917. r 1,303,680, Patented May 13, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- Attest: Inventor:

by WzZ/m 11 m2,

UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. KENT, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO REVERE RUBBER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND REMOVING BLANKS FROIVI MOVING W'EBS.

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To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. KENT, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, city of New York, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Cutting and Removing Blanks from Moving Webs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to apparatus for cutting and removing blanks from a moving web. It is more particularly directed to a process for cutting and removing soles from a web of vulcanizable plastic material and to apparatus for carrying out such process.

One of the objects of the invention is to devise a simple efficient process of the kind described which shall-eliminate substantially all hand labor in its operation. Another object of the invention is to devise a process of the kind mentioned in which the amount of scrap or waste material produced shall be minimized. Another object of the inven tion is to devise a simple and efficient apparatus adapted to carry out the process mentioned and which may employ stock of either varying or uniform thickness.

Briefly stated, the invention so far as it relates to the process, consists in cutting a web of vulcanizable plastic or similar material to provide blanks, passing the material with the out blanks to a stripper and stripping the blanks from the material.

In carryin out the operation of the machine, a continuous sheet or web preferably composed wholly of a rubber compound or similar material suitable for soles is auto-I matically'fed from a source of supply, stepby-step, to a sole-die held upon a reciprocating head adapted to move the die into and out of contact with the web during its moments of rest between the step-by-step motion. The material as it rests beneath the die is cut by the downward motion thereof and the blanks arepreferably completely severed from the web. Upon withdrawal of the die, which would ordinarily result in also withdrawing the blank inclosed by the die, the blank instead is automatically main tained in the space made by its separation from the web. In the case of resilient mate rials such as rubber or similar vulcanizable plastic the walls of the blank will be in closed and held by the surrounding walls of the out web so that the web with its out Specification of Letters Patent. Patented May 13, 1919,

Application filed June 9, 1917. Serial No. 173,830.

blanks may be removed as a whole from the cutting position.

The web with the cut blanks therein is moved to a spiked stripper rotated by contact of the moving stock whereby the spike members are brought into contact with the blanks. The blanks are collected in a suitable receptacle and the cut web is automatically wound on a roll. This roll of scrap material may then be used for-the manufacture of a fresh web.

The operation as outlined is a continuous one and is performed rapidly and efficiently and substantially without hand labor for the production of sole blanks. In view of the automatlc operation of the machine it has been found that the cutting of the blanks may be effected with a precision which re duces the amount of scrap material obtained substantially to a minimum.

Briefly stated the invention so far as it relates to the apparatus consists in a source of supply of material, a die member for outtlng a blank therefrom and means to eject said blank from the die and cause said blank to be carried along ,with the material.

In the accompanying drawings wherein is shown one of the varlous possible embodiments of the invention-- Flgure 1 represents a front-elevation of the device,

F1g. 2 represents side-elevation partially in section on the line 2, 2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 represents a detail view from the back of the machine showing part of the mechanism for advancing the material stepby-step,

4 is a detail view of the stripper,

Fig. 5 is a detail view of a die-plate show- 111%?118 ejecting mechanism,

1g. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 6, 6 of Fig. 5,

Fig. 7 of a particular form ofmaterial to be cut 1nd1cating the position of the blanks; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing the construction of the feedroll and its adaptation to the material of the varying thicknesses shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Referring now more specifically to the draw ngs, 1 ind-icates the support for the machme ad acent one end of which is a frame 2 adapted to support a roll 3 consisting of a continuous sheet or web of 1s a fragmentary portion of a webrubber or other vulcanizable plasticsuitable feed-table 6 is supported bythe frame 1'.

for the manufacture of soles. Mounted above the roll 3 is the usual form of take-up roll 4 upon which the liner-strip may be wound. Guide bars 7 and .8 are adapted to control precisely the direction of the stock in its passage to the die. One end of the and mounted adjacent this end is a feed-roll 9 between which and the bed-plate 10 the stock passes. This feed-roll is driven by a device which will be hereinafter more fully set forth. a

The die 5 is secured to the end of a plunger 11 supported by the shaft 12 and adapted to be reciprocated' in the usual manner through power transmitted from an outside source by the pulley lid-mounted on the" shaft. Theplunger may be thrown into or.

out of connection. with the pulley by means of a clutchfiirotshown) controlled by the ordinary type at, foot-pedal. It has been found that heretofore with the ordinary die, when the die cuts through from the dies and for preventing the up-;

ward movement of the web intermediate the blanks as shown more clearly in Figs. 5 and 6. The die in this embodiment is shown as comprising two sole-cutting ,members. Each sole-cutting member is provided on its interior with a plate 1 1 lying within the boundaries of the cutting edge the plate normally being flush with the cutting edge of the die and resiliently held by springs 15. Intermediate eachof the cutting members is a substantially rectangular plate 16 which is similarly resiliently held in position. The

' resilient members tend to force the plates outwardly their outward movement being stopped by suitable bolts 17. This arrange ment permits the die to out and completely sever the blanks fromthe stock without however, removing the blanks upon withdrawal of the die. That is, when the die passes through the material the plates will be forced upwardly by the stock, penetrating between the cutting edges, and upon withdrawal of the die the sprlngs will force theplates 14: and 16 outwardly thereby moving the included blank and replacing it inthe space originally made by its removal. Upon the lowering of the plunger 11 an adjust'able finger 18 mounted on the head there-of contacts with the free arm of a pivoted lever 19 suitably connected to the feedroll 9 whereby upon downward motion of the arm thus produced the feedroll is moved upwardly from the material. This motion of the feed-roll serves to remove pressure frome the face of the stock and thereby to prevent any wrinkling action which might occur therebetween and the cutting edge of the die.

Eccentrically mounted on the end of the shaft 12 opposite the pulley 13 is a connecting-rod 20 pivotally. connected to a link 21. whose opposite end is connected to a cruciform lever 22 mounted to rotate about shaft 23. Mounted on the shaft 23 is a ratchet 24 adapted to rotate the shaft anddriven by pawls 25 pivotally mounted on two of the arms of the cruciform lever and held in position by springs 26 on the cross-arms. Mounted on shaft 23 and rotated thereby is a gear 27 meshing with a pinion 28 mounted on a shaft 29 supporting a gear 30 meshing with a pinion 31 which is mounted on a shaft 32 supporting the feed-roll 9. Gears and pinions corresponding to 27, 28, 30, and 31 are mounted on the opposite ends of the shafts 23, 29, and 32.

Mounted on the end .of the shaft 29 re --mote from the lever 22 is a sprocket-wheel 33 connected by an endless chain 34 to a sprocket-wheel 35 mounted on a .shaft 36 supporting a take-up roll serving to wind up material which has been cut and from which-blanks have been removed as will be hereinafter set forth. This take-up roll is given an. intermittent motion by the sprocket 33 by virtue of the connections therewith heretofore described. That is, the motion of the connecting-rod 20 rotates the lever 22. about the shaft 23 thereby causing the rotation of the pawls 25 and 26 with the ratchet through a distance and the corresponding movement of the gears 27 and their associated gears; The ratchet, gears and sprocket-wheels are so arranged that the web of the material is given a step-bystep motion advancing a suitable distance by each movement to uncover the previous cut madeby the die.

Projecting from the end of the frame 1 opposite the feed-roll 9 is an arm 37 provided adjacent its free end with a slot 38 in which is rotatably and adjustably mounted a stripper consisting as shown more clearly in Fig. 4, of a shaft 39 provided with spaced spikes or fingers 40 projecting on four sides thereof in staggered relation. The web with its out blanks passes under and rotates this shaft 39 so that the spikes 40 contact with the blanks and force them from the web. The position of the stripper may be altered throughout the length of the slot 38 in order to provide for various sizes of soles. The blanks 41 which have been stripped fall into a receptacle 42 conveniently placed beneath the stripper. The stripped Web as heretofore noted is then passed to the take-up roll 36 upon which it is Wound.

In operating the ap aratus a roll of rubber or other vulcaniza is plastic is mounted on the frame 2. The material is unwound and passed to the table- 6. upon which it is accurately positioned by the adjustable guides 7 and 8. It is then passed beneath the roll 9 thence beneath the dies and stripper to the take-up roll 36. The clutch operating the shaft 12 is then actuated and the material is stamped and advanced step-bystep to the stripping mechanism where the blanks are stripped. The stripped web is then woundon the take-up roll.

The machine is capable not only of handling stock of uniform thickness but with a slight change in the feed roll 9 may be employed for cutting soles from stock provided with a thin portion representing forward and instep portions and a thick portion representing the heel. These changes are shown more clearly in Figs. 7 and 8. The feed-roll is provided with a portion having a narrow diameter 43 in the center and end portions H of enlarged diameter. The stock having thin portions 45 along the lateral edges and a central portion 46 lies evenly against the surfaces of the roll and is therefore fed evenly forward. In cutting blanks from such stock ordinarily, as shown in Fig. 7, the dies will be arranged to out the blanks 47 heel to heel.

As many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, it is to be understood that I do not intend to limit myself to the specific form of the invention as set forth except as indicated in the appended claims.

'Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to protect by Letters lPatent is 1. In apparatus of the kind described, in combination, a supply reel for a web, a takeup reel, and a feed roll intermediate the said reels, a reciprocatory member and a die supported thereby in advance of the feed roll, means for intermittently actuating the feed roll, operative connections between the reciprocatory member and the feed roll to lift the latter from the material during cutting of the die, and a lurality of fin ers operable to press the bla s from the web. 7

2. In an apparatus of the kind described, in combination, a source of supply of web, a die member for cuttin blanks from the web and retaining the bla s in the latter, and a rotatable stripping member comprising a cylinder carrying on its periphery a plurality of. projections to engage the blanks and strip them from the Web.

3. In apparatus of the kind described, in combination, a source of supply of material, a reciprocatory member and a die supported thereby for cutting a blank from the -material, a feed roll for feeding the material to the die, and means operable b the reciprocatory member to remove the eed roll from the material during cutting b the die.

4:. In apparatus of the kin described, in

combination, a source of supply of material, a reclprocatory member an a d1e carried thereby for cutting a blank from the material, a feed roll for feeding'the material to the die, a lever connected with said feed roll, and a contact member carried by the die member and adapted to operate the said lever to remove the feed roll from the material during cutting by the die.

Signed at New York city, N. Y., this 7th day of June, 1917.

, WILLIAM J. KENT. 

